Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks Salary
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks earn $34,180 at the median, or about $16.43 an hour. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $38K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $37,274 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,318/month, about 56.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $34K get you in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Des Moines-West Des Moines’s Regional Price Parity (91.7). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
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What this looks like in Des Moines-West Des Moines
Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks pay in Des Moines-West Des Moines tracks closely to the national median, $34K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,318/month, which is 56.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.7 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks in metros near Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $31K | $35K |
| Iowa City | $33K | $36K |
| Cedar Rapids | $30K | $34K |
| Sioux City | $31K | $36K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Entry-level hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $34K. Top earners bring in $38K or more, a $9K spread from bottom to top.
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $59K | +69% | 2,810 |
| District of Columbia | $47K | +34% | 1,170 |
| Vermont | $45K | +28% | 580 |
| Washington | $40K | +15% | 5,630 |
| Massachusetts | $39K | +12% | 4,530 |
| California | $39K | +12% | 27,810 |
| Nevada | $39K | +11% | 5,040 |
| New York | $39K | +10% | 10,130 |
| New Jersey | $38K | +9% | 5,000 |
| Rhode Island | $38K | +8% | 530 |
| Alaska | $38K | +7% | 820 |
| Maine | $37K | +7% | 1,510 |
| New Hampshire | $37K | +6% | 850 |
| Oregon | $37K | +6% | 4,080 |
| Connecticut | $37K | +6% | 1,490 |
| Colorado | $37K | +5% | 5,520 |
| Minnesota | $36K | +4% | 4,430 |
| Utah | $36K | +3% | 4,120 |
| Arizona | $36K | +2% | 5,540 |
| Maryland | $36K | +2% | 4,020 |
| Delaware | $36K | +2% | 740 |
| Illinois | $35K | +1% | 6,390 |
| Wisconsin | $35K | +1% | 5,100 |
| Montana | $35K | +1% | 2,660 |
| Wyoming | $35K | -0% | 950 |
| Florida | $35K | -0% | 23,580 |
| Missouri | $35K | -1% | 4,400 |
| North Dakota | $35K | -2% | 1,390 |
| Michigan | $34K | -3% | 6,300 |
| Idaho | $34K | -3% | 2,130 |
| Indiana | $33K | -5% | 4,640 |
| Virginia | $33K | -5% | 6,560 |
| Nebraska | $31K | -10% | 1,650 |
| Pennsylvania | $31K | -11% | 7,880 |
| Ohio | $31K | -13% | 6,320 |
| Iowa | $31K | -13% | 2,790 |
| South Dakota | $31K | -13% | 1,760 |
| Tennessee | $30K | -14% | 6,930 |
| South Carolina | $30K | -14% | 5,910 |
| Kentucky | $30K | -15% | 3,890 |
| North Carolina | $30K | -15% | 7,530 |
| Kansas | $30K | -15% | 1,900 |
| Texas | $30K | -16% | 23,690 |
| New Mexico | $29K | -16% | 2,940 |
| Georgia | $29K | -17% | 9,490 |
| Arkansas | $28K | -19% | 2,420 |
| Alabama | $28K | -20% | 3,910 |
| Oklahoma | $28K | -21% | 3,090 |
| Louisiana | $27K | -22% | 4,110 |
| Mississippi | $27K | -22% | 3,050 |
| West Virginia | $27K | -23% | 1,730 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a hotel, motel, and resort desk clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $34K, rent takes 56.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,318/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,719/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 77% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is hotel, motel, and resort desk clerk a high-paying job in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $34K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Des Moines-West Des Moines compare to the national average for hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $34K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $37K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $34,180 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,650, and experienced hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks can clear $37,900. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $34K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,332/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 56.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks salary go in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Des Moines-West Des Moines has a Regional Price Parity of 91.7 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks salary is worth about $37,274 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.